A Gospel Plea for Maintenance of the Ministers, Title page – Dedication
A GOSPEL PLEA (Interwoven with a RATIONAL and LEGAL) FOR THE LAWFULNESS & CONTINUANCE Of the Antient Setled MAINTENANCE and TENTHS Of the Ministers of the Goſpel: IN TWO PARTS. PROVING That there is a Juſt, Competent, Comfortable Maintenance due to all Lawfull painfull Preachers & Miniſters of the Goſpel, by Divine Right, Inſtitution, & expreſs Texts, Precepts of the Goſpel: That Glebes & Tithes are ſuch a Maintenance, & due to Miniſters by Divine Right, Law, Goſpel: That if ſubſtracted or detained, they may lawfully be inforced by Coercive Laws and Penalties: That Tithes are no real Burden nor grievance to the people; The aboliſhing them, no eaſe or benefit to Farmers, Husbandmen, or poor people, but a Prejudice and Loſs. That the preſent oppoſition againſt Tithes, proceeds not from any real grounds of Conſcience, but baſe Covetouſneſſe, Carnal policy, hatred to, and a Jeſuitical, Anabaptiſtical deſign, to ſubvert, ruine our Miniſters, Church, Religion. With a Satisfactory Anſwer to all Cavils and Material Objections to the contrary. By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Swainſwick, Eſquire, a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Mal. 3.8, 9.
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me: But ye ſay, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tithes and Offerings. Ye are curſed with a curſe, for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation.
Mat. 22.21.
Render therefore to Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, and unto God the things that are his.
AUG. serm. 219.
Si tu illam Decimam non dederis, dabis impio Militi, quod non vis dare Deo & Sacerdoti: Hoc tollit Fiſcus, quod non accepit Chriſtus.
London, Printed by T. Childe, and L. Parry, for Edward Thomas, and are to be ſold at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1660.
To my moſt High, Mighty, Great, Dreadfull, Omnipotent, Omnipreſent, Omniſcient, Righteous, True, Faithfull, All-gracious, All-ſufficient, Everliving, Everlaſting, Immutable, Covenant-keeping LORD GOD; the God of my Life, Health, Strength, Mercy, Preſervation, Conſolation, Supportation, Salvation, Deliverance, Praiſe.
aIſa. 45.15. & 46.9,O God THE SAVIOUR of Iſrael, (of England too, antiently ſtiled bMat. Weſt. An. 1055. p. 422. Antiq. Eccleſ. Brit. p. 88, 89.Regnum Dei, Gods Kingdom) Thou art God alone, and there is none elſe. cPſal. 73.25.Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth, that I deſire beſides thee. dActs 17.28.In thee alone I live, move, and have my being. ePſal. 73.26.Thou art the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. My f1 Theſſ. 5.23. Rom. 11.36. Pſal. 139.15, 16, 17.whole Spirit, Soul, Body, Parts, Endowments Natural, Spiritual, are only of thee, through thee: O ſanctifie them wholly for, and only to thee; to whom alone I deſire intirely and eternally to devote them; as gPſal. 100.1, 2, 3. 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. Job 7.20. Gen. 48.16.due to none but thee, and that by right of Creation, Redemption, Reſignation, Preſervation, and that extraordinary Tribute of gratitude I ſtand moſt deeply engaged to render to thy moſt gracious Majeſty, for thoſe many and manifold WONDERS of Preſervation, Supportation, Concomitation, Protection, Conſolation, Abſolution, Vindication and Reſtauration, thou haſt (of thy free Grace) moſt miraculouſly extended to me, (the m…aneſt and unworthyeſt of all thy ſervants) in, under, from all my former and late injurious, illegal Sufferings, Oppreſsions, Impriſonments, inhumane cloſe Reſtraints, Exiles, in TEN SEVERAL PRISONS, CASTLES (ſome of them at remoteſt diſtance from all Acquaintance, Kindred, Friends and thy publick Ordinances, under ſome Rude, Barbarous armed Gardians and Men of blood, of purpoſe to deſtroy me, where thou wast preſent with me, as with hDan. 6.16.Daniel in the Lyons den, i2 Tim. 4.17.Paul in the Lyons mouth, the kDan. 3.19, 20, &c.three Children in the midſt of the fiery Furnace, lJonah 1. & 2.Jonah in the Whales belly, to ſecure, comfort and ſupply me) for about ELEVEN YEARS SPACE; through the malice and cruelty of mercileſſe men: Yet (bleſſed be thy holy name) for no other cauſe or crime thy poor ſervants conſcience is guilty of (his laſt cloſe Impriſonments in three ſeveral Caſtles being without the leaſt Examination, Hearing, Accuſation, Charge of any particular offence againſt him, or yet declared to him) but only for his ſincere cordial deſire to diſcharge his bounden duty to glorifie thee in his generation, by appoſing the mIn my Hiſtriomaſtix, Healths ſickneſſe, Lovelocks, Coſens Coſening Devotions, Breviate, Quenchcole, Memento, Speech in Parliament, & other Books.dangerous wrath-provoking Errors and corruptions of the age in which he liveth; by contending earneſtly for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints, according nJude 3. Levit. 19.17. Tit. 1.13.to thy Commands, and for the ſetled fundamental Laws, Liberties, Rights, Government of his diſtracted Native Countrie, againſt all ſecret Underminers, open Oppugners or Subverters of them, to the uttermoſt of his Ability: By a conſciencious inviolable obſervation of all thoſe ſolemn ſacred Oaths, Proteſtations, Covenants and Obligations, (preſcribed by thoſe lawfull higher Powers thou commandedſt him to oRom. 13.1, 2.ſubmit to under pain of DAMNATION) wherewith he hath frequently bound his ſoul, not ſo much to men as to thee, who art a moſt pDeut. 7.9. Neh 1.5: Pſa. 89.2, 28, to 38. & 110.4. & 111.5. Jer. 33.20, 21, &c. Heb. 5.17, 18.Faithfull Promiſe-Oath-Covenant-keeping God, eſpecially of thoſe Oathes and Covenants wherewith thou vouchſafeſt to oblige thy ſelf even to meer duſt and aſhes, both IMMUTABLE and INVIOLABLE, never violating, nor repenting of them in the leaſt degree, and obliging men both by thine own example, and qGen. 50.5, 6 Levit. 19.12. Num. 30.2. Joſh. 1.17. & 6.22. & 9.15, to 22. Pſa. 15.4. Hoſ. 10.4. Zech. 5.4. Eccleſ. 8.2. Ezek. 17.16, 18, 19.Precepts to do the like, in all their publick or private Oathes, Vowes, Covenants to thee or men, under pain of temporal wrath here, and eternal excluſion from thy holy Hill: And for not daring to confederate or comply (againſt his Oathes, Covenants, manifold publick Engagements, Conſcience, Judgement and thy ſacred rProv. 24.21 22. Rom. 16.17. 2 Tim. 3.1, 2, 3.Inhibitions) WITH THOSE WHO ARE GIVEN TO CHANGE; many of whoſe Calamities and Ruines are ſodainly riſen and fallen upon them, by thy Divine juſtice (even from thoſe they leaſt ſuſpected, and moſt relyed on for Protection) for the manifold changes they preſumed to make againſt their Oaths, Vows, Truſts, Proteſtations, Covenants, and unrighteous oppreſſing of their deareſt Chriſtian Friends, Brethren, and thy ſuffering Servant among others. Now allsRev. 19.1, 2. Glory, Honour, Power, Salvation and Praiſe be for ever rendred by me and all thy glorious Saints and Angles in heaven and earth, becauſe true and righteous are thy Judgements: and becauſe the deliverance of me thy oppreſſed Servant (without any wound to his Conſcience, diſhonour to thy name, or ſcandal to thy People) is exceeding Gracious and Glorious. tPſalm 20.5, 6, 7, 8.Now know I, (again and again) that the Lord loveth his anointed; that he hath heard him (and others praying for him) from his holy Heaven; WITH THE SAVING STRENGTH OF HIS RIGHT HAND. Some (of his ſelf-exalting Oppreſſors) truſted in Chariots, and ſome in Horſes; but he remembred the Lord his God: they are brought down and fallen, but he is riſen and ſtands upright: Who therefore ever will rejoyce greatly in THY SALVATION, and in the Name of his God will ſet up his Banners. uPſal 107.16.For thou haſt broken the gates of Braſſe, and cut the bars of Iron in ſunder: Thou haſt ſent thy holy Angel and knocked off the Chains from my long-fettered hands, and made the long-barred Iron Caſtle Gates (wherein I was cloſe ſhut up) to open of their own accord (without any enforced long-expected Petition from me.) Thou haſt reſcued me from more then 4. Quaternions of Souldiers, who moſt ſtrictly garded me day and night, as they did thy impriſoned Apoſtle xActs 12.4, to 11.Peter, (and more narrowly than any formerly under the Prelates greatest Tyranny) and delivered him out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the People of the Jews; the Jeſuits and Popiſh Prieſts, who marched freely abroad, not only preaching, but printing and diſperſing no leſſe then ySee the Beacon fired: and Nicolas Cauſins the Jeſuit's holy Court; printed at London 1650. in folio.19. groſſe Popiſh Books in defence of their Religion, and condemning ours for Hereſie, whiles I (their chief oppugner) was ſhut up ſo cloſe in three remote Caſtles, that I could neither write againſt, nor diſcover their Plots to undermine our Church, State, Religion, nor yet ſend Letters to my Impriſoners to demand my liberty, unleſs I would firſt give Copies of them to my Gardians, and then truſt them to ſend them when and by whom they pleaſed, nor have admiſſion to thy publick Ordinances for above two years ſpace. In thankfull Commemoration of which my late and great deliverance from this Aegyptian Bondage, I do here preſume, in all humility to proſtrate at thy feet, and Ded…cate to thee, the Great zPſal. 146.7.GAOLE-DELIVERING, PRISONER-LOOSING GOD, (who aIſa. 49.9 & 42.7.ſaieſt to the Priſoners GOE FORTH, and to them that are in darkneſſe SHEVV YOUR SELVES) this mean and unworthy Goſpel Plea, for the lawfulneſſe and continuance of the Antient ſetled Maintenance and Tithes of thy Miniſters of the Goſpel, (reſerved to and by thy ſelf AS THY DEVOTED PORTION, DEBT, DUE) whereof many now by FRAUD and VIOLENCE, endeavour Sacrilegiouſly TO ROB BOTH THEE and THEM; as the firſt fruits of my enlargement, a b1 Sam. 7.12.Second EBENEZER, Hitherto hath the Lord HELPED ME, and a laſting Monument to Poſterity of my gratitude and thankfulneſs to thee my God, for my late reſtitution to ſo much Liberty and Freedom, as to be able, thus once more publickly to plead thine own and thy Miniſters cauſe, againſt Jeſuits, Anabaptiſts, Quakers, and all other open Oppugners, Subverters of our Church, State, and secret Underminers of the true Preachers and Preaching of the Goſpel, who now cPſal. 83.4, 5, 6, 7, 8.like Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Edom, Iſmael, Moab, the Hagarens, Philiſtines, Inhabitants of Tyre, and armed Aſſur of old, have conſulted together with one conſent, and are confederate againſt thee; and have ſaid, Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Iſrael may be no more in remembrance. Beſeeching thy Majeſty moſt graciouſly to accept it, moſt powerfully to protect and ſo effectually to bleſſe, proſper it, and thy ſervant, against all theſe combined Confederates, that they may be no way able to dAct. 6.10.reſiſt thy Truth, Wiſdom, Spirit, appearing, pleading in it, by it; but either like e1 Cor. 14.25.convicted Seducers or Seduced perſons, fall down flat on their faces before it, worſhip thee and report, that God is in it (and in thy ſervant) of a truth. Or, in caſe of wilfull malicious obſtinacy, againſt thee and thy faithfull Miniſters, Houſes of publick worſhip, Truth and Goſpel, fPſal. 83.9, 10, 11, &c.Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Siſera, and to Jabin at the brook of Kiſon, which periſhed at Endor and became as dung for the earth: Make their Nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yea make all their Princes as Zebah, and as Salmunna; who ſaid (as theſe do now) LET US TAKE TO OUR SELVES THE HOUSES OF GOD IN POSSESSION. O my God make them as a wheel, as the ſtubble before the wind: As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame ſetteth the mountains on fire; ſo perſecute them with thy tempeſt, and make them afraid of thy ſtorm; fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſeek thy name O Lord; let them be confounded and troubled for ever, yea let them be put to ſhame and periſh: That men (theſe men) may know, that thou whoſe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the moſt high over all the earth. gPſal. 79.13.So we thy people and ſheep of thy paſture will give thee thanks for ever; we will ſhew forth thy Praiſe to all generations. And thy ſervant Davids reſolution, hPſal 146.2. & 104.33.Whiles I live will I praiſe the Lord, I will ſing praiſes unto my God, WHILE I HAVE ANY BEING, ſhall through thy Grace be both the Reſolution and Practice of
Swainſwick 1 Sep. 1653. Thy unworthy, unprofitable, Redeemed, Preſerved and frequently enlarged Servant and Vaſſal William Prynne.